Thoughts from Kerri

"Two things awaken our hearts to God - beauty and affliction." (Simone Well)

This week I have seen beauty all over the Dominican Republic. We see it everyday in the welcoming smiles of many of the people here, we saw it on Sunday when we visited local churches and two different ethnic groups worshiped same God together in the same language, we saw on Monday the magnificant beauty of God's creation when we visited the ocean.

Today it was more difficult to see the beauty around me. Five years ago I lived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and in coming here I have been reminded over and over again of my experience living in Central America. The similarities between the two countries have been striking. However while living in Honduras, I wasn't often exposed to much poverty like I saw today. This morning we traveled with Mario to two bateys. Bateys were camps originally setup by the goverment to house Haitian sugarcane workers. Both bateys we visited have CRC churches and schools. Mario has developed relationships with the leaders of these churches and goes often to visit these communities to support and encourage them. When we arrived at the first batey, we stepped off our air-conditioned bus into one of the poorest communities I've ever seen. We met the principal of the school there and she shared with us her ministry in the batey. (One of the things I've enjoyed most about this trip is the many opportunities for us to sit and just listen to people tell their stories. It's powerful and I can see God at work in so many people's lives.) We walked through the batey. It was overwhelming and yet beautiful at the same time. People would come to the front of their "house" to smile and say hi. We stopped at one house so a few of us could pray with a man who had injured his leg in a motorcycle accident. Steve asked the young man if he attended the church in the batey and he replied something along the lines of, "I don't smoke or drink so I am getting close". :) As we walked through the batey we saw poverty everywhere we looked but it was also a place where I could see God working so clearly through the local church and teachers that volunteer (yes, they volunteer and most teachers often get paid so little that they have to quit and go work in the public schools in the city just so they can support their families.) Even now it's difficult to gather all my thoughts from today and put into words what the day was like. This whole week has been a reminder of God's grace and provision.

After visiting the batays Mario opted that we go to mall for lunch and no one argued with him. I found it extremely mind boggling that we went from visiting two of the poorest communities that most of us have ever seen to eating Pizza Hut for lunch in a nice air-conditioned mall. Things like this bug me here. I hope when I return to the States that it continues to keep bugging me and God will provide opportunites for us to see affliction in our own city and neighborhoods and be challenged to do something about it.

One last quick blurb... this afternoon after we got back from lunch, while most of our group was taking a siesta, Guillermo took Lori, Sue, Alice and I to the clinica in Los Angeles, the barrio (neighborhood) that we've been staying in. The clinic is operated through the Luke Society but the doctor who runs the clinic, Sylvia, attends the Los Angeles church and so she is connected to many of the people here. On our visit I learned that the average person who comes in for a visit pays (if they have the money), $1.25. If they have the medicine that a patient needs, they give it away to them for free. When a person comes in with an emergency, they send them to the hospital with a slip of paper to make sure they will get seen, but if they don't have money to pay for the hospital, the doctor will take them to the hospital and pay for their visit. When we asked the nurse who gave us the tour where their resources/$ comes from, her answer, "God". I was amazed again at God's provision and the trust and faith the people here have in God's faithfulness.

Ok the lights keep blinking on and off with the generator. :) Gracias for your prayers. One huge praise is that group has continued to stay healthy and we haven't left anyone behind. ;) Please continue to pray that God would continue to open our eyes. Tomorrow will be a busy last day as we are helping out with VBS in the morning and afternoon.

Buenos noches!

Kerri